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Thursday, August 27, 2015

Once Upon an Addiction by Susan R. Hughes

If you have Netflix, you also need
self-control. I’ve got one and not the other. I’ve been binge-watching the
first four seasons of Once Upon a Time.
It’s taken me all summer to get through all eighty-nine episodes. Last week, I finally
reached the last episode, just in time for the new season starting in late September.

All it took was one episode to get me hooked. Perhaps
the show resonated with me because, with small kids, I’ve watched so many
Disney movies based on fairytales. The show is not appropriate for young kids,
but within its storylines are themes of family, courage, loss, sacrifice,
forgiveness, the power of true love, and discovering that home is where the
heart is (or in this case, a town in Maine populated by storybook characters
transported into our world by an evil queen’s curse).

The central character is Emma, the daughter
of Snow White and Prince Charming, who has grown up in our world in the foster
care system and doesn’t believe in magic. The young son she gave up for
adoption, who was raised by the evil queen, finds Emma and brings her to Storybrooke
to save the town from the curse that is keeping them trapped there, unaware of
their true identities.

The premise might sound preposterous, but it
doesn’t take long to find yourself ensnared in the plot. Each episode flips between events in the
past and present, with a theme linking the two parts, and characters who have depth beyond their
animated counterparts. The heroes have strength and heart as well as human
weaknesses, and the women aren’t helpless princesses waiting in towers to be
rescued; Snow White knows how to wield a sword and vanquish a foe. Even the
villains win our sympathy with backstories that explain how their hearts turned
dark. The struggle between good and evil within the individual becomes the
focus of many of the storylines.

I find it fascinating the way the writers
weave diverse fairytales together into an intricate plot, including not only
classic tales like Sleeping Beauty
and Cinderella, but also Frankenstein, The Wizard of Oz, Alice in
Wonderland and Peter Pan (who
knew that Captain hook could be sexy?). Throughout the seasons, new details and
revelations keep us guessing and craving more.

The show is its own curse, eating into my
reading and sleeping time. I’ve spent too many evening sitting up late, glued
to my TV set, telling myself I’d watch just ten minutes more and go to bed (fat
chance). Now I need to wait a month for my next fix. At least I
won’t be able to binge-watch anymore – I’ll have to watch season five once a
week as the episodes are broadcast on ABC. Can’t wait!

Do you have a favourite show that’s become
an addiction?

* ~ * ~ *

Susan R. Hughes writes contemporary and historical romance
novels. Want to keep up with news from
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10 comments:

I love binge watching shows and just finished watching Forever and have started on Elementary. :)Once Upon a Time is a good one and I completely agree with you that if you start once, you can't stop :)

My daughters introduced me to binge watching a few winters ago with Nashville, and I must say I was instantly hooked. There's something about, "Can we watch just one more...?" that so instantly gratifying. I wonder if this is a female thing? Hubby is so not into it...lol. That's okay, I still binge watch with the girls whenever they're home. ;)

I love Once Upon a Time! I've watched it since the first episode and never, ever, miss one. I don't have Netflix so I can't binge watch, but I do access programs through the Internet. My other obsession is NASHVILLE. Other than that, mostly all I watch is PBS. I love British TV.